Unwavering Support
In a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia, stressing Islamabad will stand firmly with the kingdom during challenging times and continue working with it for regional peace. The brief visit—and “restricted” meeting have raised eyebrows amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Retaliatory Outage
Iran Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani has warned the entire region will “go dark” in less than 30 minutes if the U.S. attacks the country’s electricity infrastructure in the ongoing conflict. The threat followed a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington could dismantle Iran’s electric capacity within an hour as the war continues to escalate.
Defiant Stance
Newly-appointed Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first remarks since succeeding his later father, has vowed to avenge the blood of martyrs, keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and attack U.S. bases if Washington does not voluntarily shutter them. He further said that Iran would either seek compensation from its enemies or destroy their assets.
Status Quo
The Islamabad High Court, ruling on a petition seeking the transfer of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan to hospital, has reconstituted a medical board that had previously examined the PTI leader and directed it to submit a fresh report. Based on the latest report’s findings, Khan would either continue receiving treatment for an eye ailment at Adiala Jail or be shifted to hospital.
Fuel Woes
The International Energy Agency has warned the Middle East conflict—and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—is creating the biggest oil supply disruption in history, noting the supply is expected to drop by 8 million barrels per day in March, roughly 8% of global demand. However, it added, supply could rise in April as some Middle East Gulf producers use alternative export routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Bailout Deferred
Despite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noting positive progress in talks with Pakistan on a staff-level agreement for the $1 billion tranche, it has voiced concerns over large fiscal discrepancies in federal and provincial budgets. The lender reportedly wants to send a technical mission to address the discrepancies, primarily stemming from an increase in commercial bank deposits.
Another Pandemic
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has placed all public and private hospitals on high alert for mpox as total infections detected in the past year have risen to 26. An advisory has emphasized the need for prompt isolation of suspected cases and rigorous testing to curb further spread. While initially linked to travel from Gulf countries, recent trends point to emerging local transmission within Pakistan.
Right to Information
The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed “alarm” over a recent warning from Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar of possible legal action against journalists and commentators crossing “red lines” while discussing Pakistan’s foreign policy. The media watchdog said independent analysis on global affairs was critical for public understanding of the impact of global developments on domestic issues and threats fostering self-censorship could undermine the public’s right to information.
Maintaining Prices
While Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik have indicated a further increase to fuel prices, the government is considering holding back any immediate increase this week by utilizing a Rs. 389 billion “emergency fund” to absorb the shock. As part of conservation measures, the government has also banned the export of all petroleum products.
Rising Costs
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has allowed 19 medical and dental colleges to increase their annual fees to Rs. 2.15 million, above the Rs. 1.89 million cap that was imposed last year. In a notification, the body said 20 applications were deferred over a failure to fulfil required documentation, while 72 medical and dental colleges did not apply for any enhancement of fees.